Iqbal was the breakout star of United's 2022 pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia but having been effectively cast aside by then boss Ten Hag, he has revealed his frustrations at the side who he felt did not appreciate his talents enough.
Speaking to The National, the 22-year-old who spent 14 years with the club revealed how he just wanted a chance to prove himself and how he effectively felt like a prisoner.
“I just wanted 10 minutes off a bench to show myself and it really frustrated me that the gaffer didn’t seem to rate me enough to give me a chance to show if I could sink or swim.
“I spoke to my dad and agent and said: ‘I can’t do this for another year’. From the outside, it looked amazing to all my friends because I was training and travelling with United’s first team. For me, it was mentally tough because I was just training and not allowed to play with the under-23s. I thought to myself, ‘I’m just like a number’.”
Ten Hag made a number of poor decisions with the young midfielder and saw his opportunity when players from the first team were forging a path away from the side who were starting to crumble.
"The manager (Ten Hag) listened and then told me he didn't want me to go to the tournament. He said it was the end of the season; we had injuries and needed training numbers, too. He told me to stay patient. So I did. I was sure I'd play some minutes and become the first Iraqi player in the Premier League.
"However, that never materialised, not even in the final matches when there was little at stake. My best mate, Ali Al Hamadi of Ipswich, became the first Iraqi player, so I'm chuffed it's him.
"But I informed my agent that I needed a change. I'd done everything that was asked and didn't get a chance. I saw that Jadon Sancho had moved abroad from Man City, Paul Pogba from Man United. I was willing to follow a similar path."
The Iraqi international, who is now enjoying first-team football with Dutch side FC Utrecht and made 21 appearances for the club last season as they finished fourth in the Eredivisie, nine points adrift of league champions PSV Eindhoven.